Event Nokia has started encouraging Android developers to support its Nokia X platform. The phones, primarily aimed at developing markets, run a highly customised version of Android and to ensure compatibility Nokia has wound up its developer outreach programme.

Next week Monday – 24 March – Nokia will be around the corner from Vulture Central at a SkillsMatter eXchange in Goswell Road, an event organised by the London Android Group. The firm has stumped up Riaz Ahmed, Nokia’s UK developer evangelist, who will cover Here Maps, In App Billing, Nokia Notification Services, using the glance and lock screen and the process of porting and tools.

Nokia will be buying the food and beer, so it would be rude to ask the Nokia man, who also evangelises Windows, deep religious OS questions. But that probably won’t stop anyone asking if Microsoft will port Internet Explorer.

Better than food and beer is free phones and Nokia are running a competition for those who port their apps in Londroid. The first 30 to port their apps win a device.

And Nokia will be “trading exclusive devices for your ported apps”, on Friday 28 March. This takes place in a tour bus parked up outside Nokia’s UK HQ in Paddington.

There are three sessions all covering the same ground as the Londroid meeting but with varying refreshments depending on the time of day. The bus then goes on a European tour.

Given the emphasis Nokia is putting on selling the X in India, anyone who has a cricket or Bollywood game should be first in the queue. ®